Combined ash tray and cigarette holder



Nov. 3, 1959 E. LAW 2,910,986

COMBINED ASH TRAY AND CIGARETTE HOLDER Filed Oct. 11, 1955 2 SheetsSheet l yENTOR M- ATTORNEYS Nov. 3, 1959 E. LAW 2,910,986

COMBINED ASH TRAY AND CIGARETTE HOLDER Filed Oct. 11, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS nited-States Patent 2,910,986 I comma AS T AY A G ITE HOLDER Edwin Law, Kennebunkport, Maine ApplicationOctobe -fl, 1955, Serial No. 539,715 '1 Claims. (Cl. 131-115 .This invention relates to a combined ash tray and holder for cigarettes orthe like,-and has for an object to provide an imp-roveddevice whereby maximum safety may he secured in smoking, and whereby the unit may be controlled and designed in such a way as to automatically' collect ash and sparks, and hold a. lighted butt in such a way that, even though the user may be negligent or fall asleep, there is very littledanger of fire.

Another object is to provide a device which is'safe for use by a person whilein bed, or by a disabled person, for example, as arr-invalid in a hospital.

Another object is'to provide an improved smokers appliance including a flexible conduit by which the smoker may smoke at a distance from the lighted cigaretteor the like, and by which the conduit may be easily and quickly disconnected from and-reconnected to the holder to-permit frequent cleaning of the parts to maintain them in a demand sanitary condition,

With the foregoing and other objects in view, I have devised the construction illustrated in. the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification. 1 It is, however, to be understood the invention is not limited to the specific details of construction and arrangement shown, but may embody various changes and modifications within the scope. of the invention.

In this drawing: Fig. l isa top plan view of the-preferred form of the device with the guard removed but indicated in dotted lines and also showing anotherposition of the holder n ot edlinesr .s

Fig. 2 is a-partial side elevation partial section of t e de ise;

Fig. 3; .is a detail section of the support for the holder taken substantially in the plane of the line 3 in Fig. 2; V

Fig. 4 isa detail section indicating a modified mounting means which may be used for supporting the device;

Fig, 511's a partial section and partial side elevation ho in a de a of th gua Fig. 6 is a section substantially on line 6.6'ofFig. 5 on a a -sflsqa an Fig.7 is a partial side View and partial longitudinal section of the holder on an enlarged scale.

The device comprises a base 10 forming an ash tray which islpreferabl-y a cupped member having a peripheral flange 1 1;. -It is shown in the drawing as substantially square, but maybe of diflerent shapes, such as round,

oval, rectangular or the like, and at one side the flange or rim is provided with an open-topped recess or notch 12; in its free or top edge, Mounted in this tray and located ahove it so that ashes and sparks dropping from a lighted cigarette or the like will drop into the tray, is a holder indicated as-a whole by the numeral 13. This holder comprises a support in the form of a block 14 provided with a smoke passage 15 through it, and extending upwardly from this support and preferably inciined over the tray is a tubular holder 16 for a cigarette 17 or the like, this tubular holder being secured at its 2,91 Patented Nov. 3,

,coil spring 23 abutting at one end against the upper end of the section 19 and at its upper end against a shoulder 24 formed on the inner side of the section 18 spaced inwardly below the outer end of this section. This shoulder may be formed on the inner side of an inner flange,

the upper side of which may be tapered as shown at 25 to cooperate with the tapered upper end 26 of the inner tube 21 to form a stop to limit outward movement of the section 18 under action of the spring 23, and also to form a stop to be engaged by the inner *end of the cigarette 17 to limit movement of the cigarette into the holder. This upper end of the tube.21 also provides means for ejecting the cigarette butt from the holder, the operation being that when it is desired to eject this .butt the outer section 18 is merely shifted downwardly on the telescoping lower section 19 to the dotted line position 184, shown in Fig. 2 which would cause the upper end of the butt 17 to be forced out of the section 18, as indicated by dotted lines 17a, and to permit it to drop into the tray. I f

A guard 38 may be provided on the holder to reduce the liability of drafts blowing the ashes or sparks around or outside the tray. It may be of sheet metal or other suitable material transversely curved, preferably to about a half a tube, as shown in Fig. 6, and of a size to fit the outer diameter of the upper section '18 of the holder. It may be secured on the top or upper side of this section by any suitable means; such, for example,- as a spring wire clip 3.9 soldered to the inner side of the guard and adapted-to seat in and clamp the bottom of a peripheral groove 40 in the member 18 to detachably secure this guard to the holder. The guard is of a length to extend a desired distance beyond the upper end of the holder or member 18, preferably about the distance the cigarette projects beyond the holder when first lighted. This guard s cation with the smoke passage 15. This nipple. is a part of the conduits connecting the mouthpieces to the holder.

The outer surfaces of the nipple may be knurled or roughened asindicated at 29 to assist in connecting the flexible tube or conduits 27 and 27a to the support or discon ue'cting it therefrom. The flexible conduits 27 and 27a may be of any length desired, depending on the distance it is desired to locate the holder and tray from the smoker or smokers when in use, as, for example, on a table or sand by the side of a bed occupied by the smoker or I smokers, and each is provided with a suitable mouthpiece 33 or a at its opposite end. Two tubes or conduits may be provided so that. two people, if desired, may smoke at the same time from the same holder, Each conduit is provided with a threaded nipple 42 at its inner end adapted to be threaded into the outer end or one side of the connecting nipple 28. Either nipple 42 may also be threaded directly into member 14 after disconnecting nipple 28, if 'one person only. is to use the tray and holder. The male threads on nipples 28 and 42 are the same size.

Improved means is employed for mounting the holder in the tray. This, as shown in the drawing, comprises a spring connecting member 31, preferably in the form of a flat strip of flexible resilient material, such, for example, as a spring metal or other suitable resilient material, on the outer end of which the support 14 is mounted at its lower end by any suitable means, preferably by a reduced neck portion 32 passing through an opening in the member 31 and headed over at its lower end, as shown at 32. This neck portion and the corresponding opening is preferably made noncircular, as for example, oval shaped as indicated, to prevent turning of the holder 14 with respect to this spring member and maintain the proper angle of the holder with respect to the tray for maximum security and safety, to prevent ashes or lighted butts from falling outside instead of into the tray. The other end of the spring member is pivotally connected to the tray 10 by any suitable means, such, for example, as a rivet 34 passing through an opening in the base of the tray, or it could be mounted through a sleeve or block 35 mounted in an opening 36 in the tray and held by heading it over washers 37 at opposite sides of this base. Or if preferred, this rivet could be in the form of a stud 43on a flanged bolt 44 in a stationary support such as a table, shelf, portable stand or the like, and threaded for a wing nut 45 to detachably secure the tray10 to the support, and the spring strip 31 to the tray, to detachably secure the tray and holder to the support and permit removal of the tray for cleaning, and dumping ashes or cigarette butts. This stud and the wing nut could be provided with aligned transverse openings 46 to receive some type of securing means which would require a tool or key to remove it, such, for example, as a cotter pin, bolt or padlock, to prevent theft of the holder or tray, particularly in facilities for transients such as hotels and hospitals. This pivotal connection 34 or 43 permits the spring support 31 to swing about an upright axis and therefore permits swinging of the holder 13, including its base support 14, about this pivotal connection. As-

shown on the drawing, the inner end of the flexible conduits 27 and 27a, in this case the nipple 28, is located or seated in the recess or notch 12 and thusretains the holder 13 in a given position for greater safety in insuring that the ashes and sparks, and also the lighted butt when the holder is operated to eject it, will drop into the tray, and the flexible spring mounting 31 will normally effectively retain this nipple in this notch or recess. However, as it is necessary and desirable to frequently disconnect the flexible conduit or conduits from the holder for cleaning purposes, the spring mounting 31 permits the holder and the block 14 to be swung upwardly and inwardly, as indicated in dotted lines Fig. 2. This action also causes removal of the nipple 28 from the recess 12. This will shift this nipple from the notch into a position where it may be more readily gripped by a thumb and finger of the operator to permit unscrewing of the nipple from or re-application of the nipple to the holder. It will also permit swinging of the holder 13 laterally about the pivot 34, as indicated in dotted lines Fig. 1, to bring the flexible conduit and its connection to the holder into alignment with a corner of the tray, if a square or rectangular tray is used, and provide even greater space and clearance about the nipple connection 28 to facilitate its operation. After the flexible conduit has been reconnected to the holder, it may be readily returned to its original position and the nipple positioned in the notch or recess 12 and retained therein by action of the spring support 31.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, I claim:

l. A combined ash tray and cigarette holder comprising an ash tray in the form of a container having a pcripheral upright flange providing with a transverse notch therethrough, a holder for a cigarette and the like comprising an upwardly extending tubular member adapted for insertion of a cigarette to be smoked in its upper end, a mounting for said member comprising a spring strip, means pivotally connecting one end of said strip to the bottom of the tray to permit shifting of this strip about an upright axis, means mounting the tubular r r 1ember on the outer end of said strip, a pair of flexible smoke conducting tubes, means connecting these tubes to the tubular member including a connecting means normally located in said notch and removable therefrom by flexing the spring strip, and a mouthpiece at the outer end of each tube.

2. A combined ash tray and cigarette holder comprising an ash tray in the form of a container having a peripheral upright flange provided with a transverse notch therethrough, a holder for a cigarette comprising an upwardly extending tubular member adapted to receive and hold a cigarette to be smoked in its upper end, a mounting for said member comprising a spring strip, means pivotally connecting one end of said strip to the bottom of the tray to permit it to be shifted to different positions about said pivot over the tray, means mounting the tubular member in an inclined position on the outer end of the spring strip, a flexible smoke conducting conduit connected to said tubular member including a connecting means normally located in said notch and removable therefrom by flexing the spring strip, and amouthpiece at the outer end of said conduit.

3. A combined ash tray and cigarette holder comprising an ash tray in the form of a container having a peripheral upright flange provided with a transverse notch therethrough, a holder for a cigarette and the like comprising a support, an upwardly extending tubular holder carried by the support over said tray, a spring mounting for the support, means pivotally connecting the spring mounting to the tray to shift about an upright axis and to yield upwardly, said support being mounted on the spring mounting at a location spaced laterally from its pivotal connecting means, a flexible tube, means connecting the tube to the support normally located in said notch and removable therefrom by flexing the spring mounting for the support, and a mouthpiece at the outer'end of said tube. a

4; A combined ash tray and holder for cigarettes and the like comprising a dished ash tray including a peripheral upright flange provided with an open recess therethrough, a holder for cigarettes and the like comprising a supporting block provided with a smoke passage therethrough, a tubular holder extending upwardly over the tray from said block and communicating with said passage, a flexible conduit, means connecting the conduit to the block having means adapted to communicate with said passage and normally located in said recess, a mouthpiece at the outer end of said conduit, a substantially flat spring pivotally secured to the tray to shift about an upright axis, means securing the block to the spring at a location spaced from its pivot to permit shifting of the holder to different angular positions about said pivot, and said spring being yieldable upwardly to permit lifting of the conduit connection from said recess and then shifting of the holder laterally about the spring pivot to said different positions.

5. A combined ash tray and cigarette holder comprising an ash tray in the form of a container having a peripheral upright flange provided with a transverse notch therethrough, a holder for a cigarette comprising a supporting block provided with a smoke passage therethrough, a tubular holder mounted on the block communicating with the passage and extending upwardly therefrom over the tray, a flexible conduit, means connes ing i s q u t t0 t e block having means adapted to communicate with the passage and normally located in the notch in the flange of the tray, a mouthpiece at the outer end of the conduit, a mounting for the block comprising a strip of flexible resilient material secured at one end to the block, means pivotally connecting the other end of said strip to the tray to permit this strip being shifted about an upright axis, and said strip being yieldable upwardly to permit the conduit connecting means to be lifted from the notch and then shifted with the holder laterally about said pivotal connection to locate the holder in difierent positions over the tray.

6. A combined ash tray and cigarette holder comprising an ash tray in the form of a container having a peripheral upright flange, a holder for a cigarette comprising an upwardly extending tubular member in an inclined position over the base and adapted to receive and hold a cigarette to be smoked in its upperend, a mounting for the holder comprising an elongated substantially flat horizontal spring supporting member, means pivotally connecting one end of said member to the bottom of the tray to permit said member to be shifted about an upright axis to different angular positions about the pivot over the tray, means mounting the holder on the other end of said member so that it may be shifted about said upright axis to difierent positions over the tray by said ing to claim 6 in which the guard is adjustably secured to the holder by a spring clip permitting it to be shifted to different angular positions about the holder and which clip is adapted to retain the guard in these positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 76,110 Young Aug. 14, 1928 177,456 Blackford May 16, 1876 588,259 Betts Aug. 17, 1897 1,485,345 Fleming 'Feb. 26, 1924 1,641,657 Bear Sept. 6, 1927 2,093,760 Kiernan Sept. 21, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS 234,703 Great Britain June 4, 1925 400,550 Great Britain Oct. 26, 1933 

